Putting Her Back Together
by Pafoof
Summary: Lily Evans has had a life full of lies. Her sister deceived her and lied to her about who she was her entire life. She has only ever thought she was a freak unfit for society. James Potter comes into her life and she considers him a prince even if she could never tell him. After all, you don't need to be a King's son to be a prince, you just need to save the girl. Jily AU
1. Chapter 1

"Where you off to?" Sirius leaned his head back as he spotted his best friend and partner in crime leaving their common room on the last night of term their sixth year. It was not unusual for James to be out at night wandering around. It had become even more common when he started dating Caitlin Wells last October. They were together more than they were apart and James often stole her from Ravenclaw for a private moment or two. The odd thing was that James looked oddly guilty which was not something he normally was. Either he was up to something that was less than exemplary (which would be pretty bad considering what they had done) or it was something he was embarrassed about or a secret. None of the three sat well with his best mate and Sirius frowned before sitting upright and facing him.

"I'm actually off to see Petunia Evans." The sentence had barely left his lips before Sirius was out of his chair and in his best friend's face.

"Are you insane? Caitlin will murder you for going off in the middle of the night to see her of all people. What the hell are you thinking?" James sighed and pulled a piece of parchment out of his pocket. The fold lines were evident meaning he had read it several times since he had gotten it. Sirius made to snatch it from him but James's reflexes were far too quick for that to be possible.

"Look, Evans wrote me a fortnight ago about this and asked me to meet her. She said she had to talk to me and that it was important. She needs help from me of some sort and I'm going to hear her out. Pads, she isn't remotely into guys like me. I'm like the opposite of her type. Nothing is going to happen, but we aren't telling Caitlin anyways. The last thing is my girlfriend going mental before I leave her for two months." Sirius pursed his lips and James knew his best mate less than approved of what he was going to do. Sirius was quite right not to trust Evans in the slightest. Petunia was known to steal any man she wanted from anyone. Whatever the Ice Queen wanted she got. The mysterious thing was that she was a muggle born and still fit right into the Slytherin circles. The most ancient families still had next to nothing to do with her but Evans had tricked many purebloods into being with her.

"You don't want to get mixed up with her Prongs, she is bad news and that's me saying that." James laughed while stuffing the note back into his pocket. He took a deep breath and gave his friend half a smile before heading out of the portrait hole.

He didn't really know why he was going. It could very well be a set up. The Slytherins hated him more than any other Gryffindor and it could be an ambush for all he knew. The feud between the houses was worse than ever. The war had come into the school through countless scuffles in the halls. There wasn't a week that went by without a Slytherin or Gryffindor ending up in the hospital wing He was meeting her in the Divination tower of all places in the middle of the night. Yet there was just something about the note that made him go and hear her out. Evans had not much reason to mess with him. As far as he knew as long as you didn't mess with her she generally left you alone.

Evans was a mystery to him. She wasn't all that pretty. Her looks were average at best. She had mastered some spells to enhance her looks but James had never found her that pretty. Yet, she had most boys in her house wrapped around her finger. She was manipulative is what he figured. Most boys didn't do well with manipulation or knew how to deal with it. To sum it up James thought she was average all around. Nothing about her really stood out to him.

He climbed the numerous stairs and grew slightly dizzy as he went around and around until her reached the landing. He stood there and looked around having never been up here before. It was nice enough with benches and chairs to sit in. He glanced around with a hand on his wand but saw no need to use it yet. He didn't spot her at first glance but finally saw her gazing out the window with her arms wrapped tightly around herself. She was dressed in full uniform which struck James as a bit odd since they had had no classes that day. Most students had other robes or just wore plain muggle clothes on days they had off. He took a deep breath before approaching the blonde.

"So, what's this all about Evans?" She turned around and glared at him. James gulped and was immediately uncomfortable. She looked vulnerable without a mask of make up on and her hair was down which was also unusual. She had bags under her eyes and looked so very tired. "I mean, sorry, hi Evans." Petunia rolled her eyes and fixed her hair back in its usual bun which put him much more at ease.

"This won't take long Potter, I won't keep you." She sat down in one of the chairs so he followed suit. "I asked yo to come up here because this is a secret. No one in Slytherin knows about this. Well, no one that is here anymore anyways. I hope I can trust you with this, you have enough secrets you keep that one more shouldn't hurt." James smirked to himself, knowing she didn't know the half of it truly. She scowled and leaned forward so that her elbows were on her knees and she ran her hands over her face. "If you could keep your bloody smirks to yourself I'd appreciate it! This is bloody difficult enough! I don't make it a habit to ask for help and if you don't want to actually help you can leave!"

"Alright Evans, just tell me what it is!" She sat up straight again and caught his gaze. Her blue eyes shone with the light of the moon and James knew that whatever this was, it meant a lot to the Slytherin girl.

"I have a sister." Petunia began in a low voice, so low her had to lean forward and even in the silence had trouble hearing her. "Her name is Lily and she is your age. She is...unstable." James looked appropriately alarmed as Petunia put a hand on his arm to stop him from leaving. "Not mentally unstable, she's fine in that regard. She is magically unstable. She never came to Hogwarts and she has bursts of magic that are powerful and dangerous. I don't know how to stop them and I don't know what to do with her anymore. My parents had a house for her in southern Wales. It was small and remote so that she couldn't hurt anyone. When they passed I had to sell it for their funeral costs. She is coming home at the end of the month but I honestly don't know what I'm going to do." She was wringing her hands together and James felt utterly baffled. What on earth was he supposed to do with a girl that had dangerous bursts of uncontrolled magic? He had never even heard of that before. Why couldn't she control her magic? Of course as a kid all young witches and wizards have a few incidents of accidental magic. It was fairly standard but to just never reign it in?

"What the hell do you expect me to do about it? I've never even heard of that! You can't ask one of your Slytherin friends for help?" Evans rolled her eyes and leaned back with a huff.

"If I could don't you think I would have already? They just wouldn't do it right. I need someone with some sort of tact for my sister. She is frail and doesn't like or trust many wizards." James ran a hand through his untidy hair and honestly wished she would have just tried to seduce him into bed instead. This was about to get deep and complicated which was the last thing he wanted when it came to Evans.

"You've never taken her to a healer? Maybe they could help?" Evans sighed and stood to gaze out the window again. She was biting her lip and looked as if she might start crying. James knew she was more than desperate if she was willing to ask a Gryffindor for help.

"Look, I don't have any money. My parents left us next to nothing. They used all their money on the house for her and before that cleaning up her disasters. I'm marrying Rabastan Lestrange once school is out. I know it's unusual but I can be a very good wife." She sent him a wan smile. James's head was whirling and he didn't know what on earth to think. He often had a hero thing going on and he loathed to admit it but he knew it was true. He liked to save people. It was the reason that Caitlin wasn't working out as well as it once was. He had helped her through a heavy bout of depression and he was so happy she felt better but it did nothing good to their relationship. He wasn't bored exactly but he liked to help people. He liked to fix them and when they were fixed he was a little at a loss. Evans wanted some honest help and god only knew why she asked him but she did.

"So you want her better so you can get married?" That didn't sit very well with him and it made a knot form in his stomach but he knew he wasn't about to judge. She obviously got sucked into the pureblood fanatics. A lot of muggleborns were desperate to marry a worth pureblood for with them they were safe from the wrath of the Dark Lord as he was called.

"Look I can't have her around Rabastan. I've already brought it up and he won't have it. I have to marry him Potter, it's the way to survive this. I need you to help me get her functional. She doesn't have to be perfect but okay enough to live around people. Your mother is a healer isn't she? Just do something!" James knew he was going to say yes regardless. Petunia may be an Ice Queen but her sister might not be. Her sister might really need help before she was left utterly on her own. He had a saving people thing and it very well may be the death of him.

"Yeah, alright, I'll pay her a visit." If Petunia was relieved she would never tell him. She grabbed her bag and hoisted it onto her shoulder.

"Good we'll go after we get off the train. You only have three months before I get married so the longer you have likely the better. Don't fuck this up please Potter, she is my sister." Petunia stalked away into the darkness. James sat and put his chin in his hand. What had he just gotten himself into?


	2. Chapter 2

"Prongs, you alright?" It was only Peter in the compartment with him and James knew he had been lost in his own thoughts most of the ride. He couldn't stop thinking about what he would be doing after he got off the train. He had no idea what to expect or what to do really. He never should have agreed to help Evans. What if he failed? She was marrying a pureblood who wasn't in too bad standing which could end up very badly for him anyways.

"I'm alright. I just have a lot to think about." Peter offered him a sweet which James took with a smile. Peter was one that always knew how to quietly cheer him up. Sirius was always more in your face and demanding you cheer up and if that didn't work he'd often sulk. Remus was also generally good except when you couldn't talk about what was upsetting you. Peter just knew how to be there without asking a whole lot from you.

"Padfoot staying with you should be fun. I'll have to come over as well and make your mum even more mad." James smiled and looked at the blonde boy. He honestly tried to put Evans out of his mind. He was going and worrying about it won't help.

"We'll definitely have a marauders weekend. It'll be great. Maybe we'll wait until mum has a conference to go to or something. Dad can put up with us a lot easier and with fewer heart attacks." Peter smiled and returned to looking out the window. James took a slow breath and tried to calm his hapless nerves. This girl, Evans's sister, wouldn't be too bad. She had never been around people since she was young. He sat and marveled that she had never been hurt by people. The world hadn't gotten around to tossing her out on her arse yet. It would be interesting to meet her that was for sure.

"Well, Marlene and Sirius have finally done it." Remus announced with a grin as he stepped into the compartment."They have finally sat and snogged it out. Marlene was shouting as per usual and then Sirius just grabbed her. It was pretty spectacular." Peter whooped and left to either congratulate or tease the new couple. James sat in mild shock and shook his head. Remus resumed Peter's spot across form him and fixed him with a firm look.

"So, what's going on? Padfoot told me you went to meet Evans last night and then today you are barely talking to anyone." Remus leaned forwards intently and finally caught James's eye. "Did you cheat on Caitlin?" James started and he felt his eyes go wide as a blush rose up his neck.

"Merlin, no! Is that what she thinks? I've just been thinking. Evans asked me for a complicated favor and it's been on my mind. I need to go see her." Remus rolled his eyes and sat back in the seat.

"Well, I don't know what you want her to think when you go out with the notorious boyfriend stealer and then act like something's wrong. See you on the platform then. We'll be home in about twenty minutes." James nodded before slipping out of his compartment and heading to the one his girlfriend normally occupied. James considered himself to be one of the better boyfriends around. He was a flirt at times but he would never dream of cheating. It just wasn't in him to cheat on someone who cared about him.

He finally found her sitting with her friends from Ravenclaw. He leaned against the door and cleared his throat loudly. She jumped a little before seeing it was only him and excusing herself. He made room for her to leave and pulled her into an empty compartment. He pulled her in for a kiss, full of feeling and felt better when she melted into him instead of pushing away.

"Well hi, it's nice to finally hear from you." Caitlin panted while running a hand through her hair to straighten it after he had done his damage. James kept her close so he could pepper kisses on her neck.

"I'm so sorry. Just been caught up in some things." The train began to slow so she quickly left to go change into muggle attire to meet her parents. James sighed and got off the train as it pulled into the station. He had owled his parents to say he wouldn't be home until later that night. He had to avoid the boys because he wasn't allowed to tell them where he was going and lying was just futile. He could never lie to his best mates. He made his trunk palm sized before sticking it into his pocket and leaning against a discreet pillar. He watched as the rest of the Hogwarts population gleefully greeted parents and loved ones to enjoy a summer vacation. It emptied out rather quickly and within a half hour he was nearly alone on the platform. He huffed and thought that Evans had run off with Lestrange and forgotten all about what she had asked him to do. Or maybe the whole thing was a crazy dream. Maybe he had cheated and his mind was making up things to keep him sane. Maybe Evans didn't ask him for anything at all...

"Alright, ready to go? This the only time I'm accompanying you. After I show you where it is I trust you an apparate there on your own once you get your license." Evans had appeared out of nowhere with her hair done up and make up flawless. James nearly tripped over his own feet as he straightened up.

"Yeah, let's do it then." Petunia held out her hand regally for him to take so they could apparate. With a feeling of being squeezed through a tube they appeared outside of a very ordinary house in Surrey. James took in the manicured lawn and the houses that looked so similar on either side of it. On the front lawn was a large sign proclaiming the property for sale. James stopped and stared at the sign for a moment. Was Evans even going to give her sister any sort of time to get help before being kicked out of her home?

"Well, come on!" Evans said impatiently with the door open and one hand on her hip with the other on the door handle. James walked slowly past the sign and stepped into the evidently well kept house. He assumed it was so clean because they were selling it, but he watched Petunia Evans meticulously straighten her shoes on the rack by the door and hang her coat in the closet and rethought the idea. The house was nice and average sized. To the immediate right was a sitting room with a kitchen off of it. There were stairs leading undoubtedly to bedrooms upstairs and that was about the whole house besides a door leading off the kitchen. There was a yelp that came through it and James wondered where on earth it could lead to and who was down there. Evans strode into the kitchen and suddenly looked inexplicably nervous.

"Okay, you can't judge me for this. I had to do what I could. My parents had no idea what to do with her and I'm gone ten months out of the year. I did was I honestly could do. I just don't need you telling me what I did wrong." With that said Evans swung open the door and proceeded down the stairs. James gulped admittedly a little nervous and followed the blonde. What was all this? What on earth was going on that required a speech like that? There was a door at the bottom of the stairs that evidently held a great deal of charm work in its frame. After a few minutes Petunia opened the door and walked inside. James followed and tried not to make a sound as a small girl that looked much younger than sixteen sprang from the bed and ran with braids flying behind her into Petunia's arms. The sisters hugged and the younger one looked like Christmas had come early just because her sister was in the room.

"You came home! I made you some macaroni and cheese! I thought you might be hungry. And I kinda scorched that corner because there was a crow that got in and it scared me so much. I didn't mean to honestly but it just happened. I know it'll make you mad but please try not to be mad at me. I covered it up with a rug and you can hardly see it except around the edges. Do you want –" The young girl with dark red curls cut herself off abruptly as James knocked over a broom that was leaning aganst the wall. He winced and ran a hand through his hair as both sisters turned to look at him. Petunia looked annoyed while the other one looked positively frightened. She backed up rapidly until her back hit the shabby counter against the far wall. Her green eyes were wide and James noticed that her clothes seemed to be made out of curtains rather than real clothes. It was a pretty floral pattern but it was evident that it was home made.

"Lily, don't be upset. This is a man that –" The girl frnatically shook her head form side to side and a crackling energy seemed to be forming around her.

"No! No magical people, you promised I'd never have to see any magical people again! You said that if I was good and stayed down here I would be safe." The young girl trailed off and gave a fleeting look again at James. James felt baffled once more at her terrified looks and marveled at the magic that seemed to tingle in the air around this girl. Didn't she know she held the same magic that she was so afraid of? Didn't she realize that scorching a whole corning to charred remains was just as powerful as any magic he would do? How did this girl, with a qualified witch for a sister, not know about what was contained in her blood? It made utterly no sense and before Evans could say anything else James decided to try talking to the girl who seemed terrified of what she truly was.

"Sorry we didn't get introduced. My name is James, I go to school with your sister." This didn't really reassure anyone as Lily looked over to Petunia for guidance. Her eyes were still wide and the fear was more than evident. Her knobby knees shook as she leaned against the counter and if she hadn't been holding herself up James figured she would probably be on the ground.

"We don't let magical people in here. They're all mean and awful people. We keep them out." Petunia had gone over to her sister and taken her by the shoulders.

"Yes, Lily, that's what I've told you but he's here to help you control your episodes. We need to leave this house. We talked about this. I told you I'm getting married. You need to learn to be around people. Don't you want to leave here?" Lily bit her lip and finally nodded. The air around her calmed and James felt a breath of relief escape. That much magical energy could only lead to danger and disaster. Lily took a deep breath before looking at James fully at last.

"So, you think you can fix me? You can help me get out of here?"James stared into large green eyes and felt his stomach twist. Now he wanted to help, truly wanted to but he had no idea how he would go about it. How do you fix something that wasn't exactly broken? Why was her magic like this?

"I'm going to do my best." James ran a hand through his hair and took a step towards the door. "I'll come back first thing in the morning and we'll see what we can do okay?" She gave him the smallest of smiles and nodded. James sighed and climbed the stairs back to the kitchen. After a few moments he heard heels clicking hollowly on the wooden stairs behind him as Petunia came back into the kitchen as well. She was silent as she closed the door behind her and leaned against it to stare at him. James began pacing and running his fingers through his hair continuously. This was absolutely insane. That girl down there wanted him to fix her and he had no idea where to even start. She was sweet, kind, and innocent. She had hardly ever been outside.

"Evans, I am trying to stay calm here but what honestly do you want me to do with her? I mean say I can get her to control her scorching tendencies then what? From what it seems she has never been outside of a house or a basement. That girl is nearly of age. How can you think of getting married like this? Your sister is in trouble and you are marrying someone who would kill her himself." Petunia got a very nasty look on her face and took a few steps so that he was now backed into the counter tops.

"You have no idea what it's like having a sister like that. She is practically an invalid. I take care of her all of the time and my parents were mostly afraid of her. They died, my parents fucking died and Lily killed them!" She was panting and silence reverberated through the kitchen. Tears threatened to fall but in a flash they were gone and nothing but anger remained. "I'm not taking care of that freak my entire life. Call me whatever you want but I need you to help me fix her. You have a saving people thing so save her! Do your Gryffindor chivalry and save her! Make her your charity case I don't care. Lestrange is my only chance to make it in this world with the way things are. The Dark Lord hates people like me and if I don't have a pureblood to vouch for me I'm as good as dead. I'm not waiting around and letting her kill me too." Evans stormed out of the room and James heard a door slamming upstairs. He leaned on the kitchen table and stared at the door the red head was behind. That girl was about to be all alone unless he helped her. He had the summer to help a girl before he left and her sister was gone for good it seemed.

"Well I'm fucked." James then strode out of the house and into the sunshine having no idea how to do what he had to do.


End file.
